Ferrari fined after unsafe pit release knocks over mechanic at Belgian Grand Prix

The FIA stewards fined Ferrari £25,500, with £8,500 suspended for 12 months, after Lewis Hamilton responded to a green light while a crew member was still adjusting the front wing during a pit stop at Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix. The mechanic fell to the floor but required no medical attention.

Ferrari acknowledged the release was unsafe due to a late wing adjustment instruction, unclear communication, and the mechanic’s failure to notice the green light.

The FIA statement said the driver was not at fault, stopped immediately upon realizing the situation, and gained no sporting advantage from the delay. Hamilton had already received a five-second penalty for colliding with George Russell on the first lap. He finished fourth and trails Kimi Antonelli by 45 points in the championship standings.

Hamilton said he went when the green light appeared and stopped as soon as he saw the mechanic to his right. He added that the incident reminded him of Kimi Raikkonen’s 2016 pit-stop crash in Bahrain that broke a mechanic’s leg. Hamilton crashed out of final practice on Saturday after damaging his floor in the collision with Russell.

He said he would head to Hungary next weekend aiming to fight for a win.